Getty Lakers star LeBron James
LeBron James has until June 29 to exercise his $51.4 million player option for the 2024-25 season. If he declines it, he has a decision to make: re-sign with the Lakers on a new contract or test free agency for the first time since 2018.
Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz wrote that he does not see a world where James chooses the latter option. In his “NBA Free Agency Predictions” article published on June 5, Swartz made the case for James to re-sign with the Lakers on a three-year max contract worth $162 million. Swartz further predicted the contract would include a no-trade clause.
“James can make more money by picking up his $51.4 million player option and extending off of it for two seasons, per Bobby Marks of ESPN, but he is eligible to get a no-trade clause if he opts out and signs a three-year deal instead,” Swartz wrote. “Expect James to give $2.4 million back in order to get the no-trade protection in his contract, one that may end up being his last in the NBA. Contract Prediction: Three years, $162 million with full no-trade clause.”
Could LeBron James Test Free Agency?
While James won’t become a free agent until he declines his player option for 2024-25, his agent, Rich Paul, dropped some hints on May 24 about his client’s future. While appearing on truTV’s Western Conference finals simulcast, Paul gave insight into his client’s next move.
“Look, LeBron is a free agent,” Paul said when asked about the Lakers entering the offseason without a head coach following the dismissal of Darvin Ham. “I gotta focus on his business, and let the Lakers hire whoever they hire [as head coach]. He’s always shown up and played for whatever coach is there.”
When asked if “The King” would meet with other teams in free agency, Paul said, “I don’t know what he’s gonna do. We’re gonna do what we do every year. We’re gonna evaluate the situation and we’re gonna make the best decision.”
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) on LeBron James’ free agency:
“He’s going to re-sign with the Lakers, probably…Technically right now he’s already a free agent, when you have a player option, if you don’t do anything, you’re a free agent. It’s really not that big of a…
Lakers Must Make James’ Final Few Years Count
Many analysts have urged the Lakers to maximize the final few years of James’ career by building a championship contender ahead of the 2024-25 season. James, 39, is expected to play “up to two more seasons,” per The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
The Lakers enter the 2024 offseason with up to three tradeable first-round picks, including the No. 17 pick in the 2024 NBA draft, to go with valuable young assets such as Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura.
According to The Athletic’s Jovan Buha, the Lakers “are expected to be aggressive on the trade market” around the June 26-27 NBA draft when they would have access to trade their first-round picks (2024, 2029, 2031).
If the Lakers sell the farm to bring James and Anthony Davis a third co-star, they could target a quartet of All-Star guards such as Trae Young, Donovan Mitchell, Dejounte Murray and Darius Garland, per Buha. The Lakers insider expects Mitchell to be the hardest to acquire of the three stars due to his contract situation.
“The Cavaliers are trying to get Mitchell to sign an extension, which would rule him out from being traded this summer, according to The Athletic,” Buha wrote on May 30. “But until there is more clarity on which player (or players) will be available, the Lakers, like other potential suitors, can only theorize the nature of their offers.”
If the Lakers pull off a blockbuster trade in the 2024 offseason, a Big 3 of James, Davis and a third star could make the Purple & Gold a viable title contender next season.